Birthday Week of Madness

I woke up bright and early this morning ready to seize the day however I ended up sitting on my computer planning out my life for the next 7+ days and I’m wondering when I am going to be able to take time to celebrate this birthday week.  It seems crazy that I have to schedule time off on the day of my birthday but when you are an assistant, a housekeeper, a cook, a student, a health counselor, a fur baby mama, an asipring runner, a blogger and an entrepreneur, scheduling time for fun things like my own birthday party is necessary.

For my own sanity I try not to have more than 10 items on my “To Do” list each day and one of those items is always just for me because I know that even with all the crazy and exciting (and not so exciting) things going on in my life that I still need to make time for me. I also have learned to delegate things to others like my husband so that I don’t have too many things going on.  For example he wanted BBQ Seitan this week so rather than me slave in the kitchen to make the entire meal and the seitan ahead of time he has been hired to make the seitan and BBQ sauce tomorrow night for Wednesday dinner which gives me more time for my studies.  I also have learned that it’s okay to say no.  You don’t have to constantly have your hands in everything and if it doesn’t fit into your schedule don’t force it otherwise you’ll burn yourself out.

My last “words of wisdom” are to evaluate what time of the day you are most productive and do top priority things during those times.  On the flip side of that take into account when you are the least focused and productive and don’t schedule anything after that time.  For me it’s generally around 9pm that I start to feel like I’m ready to end my day and basically nothing else is going to be done so that’s when I make time for reading blogs, catching up on shows, reading a good book or sometimes I just head to bed.  By doing this I can wake up the next morning and be ready for another day.

Top 5 Tips:

• Make a list each morning or night of 10 things you need to do that day/following day; make sure that there are only 10 and that 1 of them is something for you (i.e. reading, exercise, massage, shopping, meditating, ect).
• Delegate! You don’t have to be super woman/man; if your list starts to creep past 10 things then ask others for help.
• Say No once in awhile.
• Take time to evaluate when you are most productive; are you a morning person? or a night person?
• BREATHE! Yes that’s right take time to breathe and center yourself.  Whenever you are feeling overwhelmed take a break and take 10 slow, deep breathes.